Melanie M. Rodgers is an independent graphic designer and illustrator, after 24 years of teaching graphic design, illustration and graphic design history at the college level. She holds an M.A. in Digital Arts and an M.F.A. in Studio Art from The Maryland Institute College of Art, and is also a graduate in Fine Art from the now legendary York Academy of Arts. Before her career in academia, Mel worked as an illustrator, production artist, corporate media specialist and designer of industrial product and training literature. Her research has appeared in Voice: the AIGA Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and the proceedings of national and international conferences. Her work is included in the Rhizome ArtBase Collection at The New Museum in New York. Mel is currently working on a variety of projects, both self-initiated and client-based, primarily typographic in nature and for print and screen, as well as critical and creative writing.